That’s just some of the inane gibberish you’ll see posted all over social media 24/7, so you couldn’t be blamed for seeing it as a wall for the dreary graffiti of the mundane. It has though, the capability to be so much more than that. When approached appropriately and embraced in friendly informal arms, it can be a powerful means of cheap or even free advertising and product awareness.

Let me hit you with some numbers.

There are 200 million Google searches per day.

The more social media you use, the higher up these searches you appear.

Companies with little or no social media presence saw an average annual decline in sales of -6%

Companies with a large social media presence saw an average annual growth in sales of 18%

Today’s society is, like it or not, inextricably linked with computers and the internet. Our children are becoming computer cultured even before they can read, and schools now use computer devices more than they do chalkboards. When we do learn to read, more people today prefer eBooks than paper books. Paper is becoming the cumbersome stone tablets of the past. Social life has transformed too, and an astounding 1 in every 8 married couples met online. Our modern world revolves around our smart phones, and our computers. Those not implementing social media into their business strategy are wasting a huge opportunity for growth.

Let me hit you with a few more numbers.

90% of people trust peer recommendations.

76% of people trust customer recommendations.

86% of people DON’T trust traditional advertising.

Many companies, big and small alike, are becoming progressively aware of the impact that social media can have on their business, and are now even incorporating those famous social media logos into their packaging. For the customer, this means a more accessible interaction, a friendlier presence, and product confidence. For the brewery this means enhanced brand awareness, rapid consumer feedback and a strong customer loyalty. There is also a vast potential to reach an immense number of prospective buyers. For instance, the launch of the Ford Explorer on Facebook got more views than the largest Super Bowl TV Ad ever. TV commercials are only there for the ad break minutes in which prospective trade usually runs to the kitchen to grab another brewery’s beer. A YouTube video however, is a permanent fixture and has a huge potential audience.

More numbers.

YouTube is the 2nd most used search engine in the world

Over 800 million users visit YouTube every month

Only 18% of TV campaigns generate a positive return on the original investment.

YouTube is experiencing exponential growth in popularity. There are more and more HD quality videos being uploaded and now even 3D videos, and live broadcasts. A much more solid brand awareness choice for a brewery is a YouTube beer review video. It is a permanent fixture, and will pop up every time a search for your product or a similar product is performed. This YouTube video can then be included on websites, and posted onto numerous other social media sites. For instance, a YouTube video link posted in the CAMRA Facebook page alone will reach over 10,000 prospective customers. That’s 10,000 targeted people interested in British ‘Craft Beer’ and Real Ale in just one mouse click, and that is just the tip of the iceberg.

Finally let me leave you with just a few more numbers.

800 million people are on Facebook.

If Facebook were a country, it would be the 3rd most populated in the world.